Love's Last Gunfire
by yourfrozenangel1
Summary: When Armin gets accepted to the University of Trost and plans to leave, he promised to come back. Little did Armin know that that promise couldn't be kept. Years pass and now Armin is the head of the Survey Corps and heir to Trost's most feared gang, the Garrison. Things get complicated when Eren suddenly reappears as the CEO of the Recon Corps. Now Armin must hide his past. Eremin
1. Chapter 1

Hey there! So this is my first SNK fic. This is also posted on AO3 under the same title but I decided to post it here as well since I use fanfiction more than Ao3. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1- When Love Leaves

"We are really going to miss you Armin."

Mikasa offered the blonde boy a small smile, tears threatening to cascade down her doll-like face and stain the red scarf around her neck. Her straight black hair covered her sorrow filled expression. Armin sniffled, wiped the liquid sadness off his face, and offered the silent girl a smile. The smile contrasted the blonde's state. His big blue eyes were bloodshot, tears falling in large globs despite his attempt at holding them in. His gaze was then directed to the boy next to Mikasa.

"Eren…"

Armin whispered, trying to get the sulking brunette to face him. Mikasa lightly elbowed Eren and gave him a disapproving look in a silent "You're being rude." Eren scoffed and faced Armin without really looking at him. Armin sighed.

"Eren please, look at me", he pleaded.

Eren's jaw tensed at the desperate tone. He took a deep breath and looked up at Armin. Eren's eyes were bloodshot, his nose pink, eyebrows furrowed, and lips pulled downwards. He was holding back the tears as hard as he could, not wanting Armin's last memory of him being this broken pile of teenage emotions. Armin swore he felt his heart rip in two.

"How can you leave us Armin? How can you leave… me?"

Eren's voice cracked. He cleared his throat. It was harder for him now to actually face his best friend and realize that this wasn't all just some sick joke and Armin really was moving to Trost. Armin was actually leaving… he hated it. Why couldn't Armin just stay here in Shiganshina instead of studying in Trost?

Armin's lips began to quiver. Armin was always fairly sensitive, especially when Eren was angry with him. Eren noticed the slight movement of his best friend's lip and felt like the biggest dick. Making Armin cry was the last thing he ever wanted to do. He pulled the blonde into his arms and massaged little circles into his back. He cooed apologies until Armin's sobs were reduced to his previous quiet sniffles.

"I'm so sorry! But I swear I'll come back because… I love you… b-both of you!"

Armin flushed at his little slip up, not that they would take his little statement romantically. He'd be dreaming if Eren ever…

Eren placed his hands on Armin's face, wiping away some stray tears from his face.

"I love you too, Armin,"

Eren smiled. His turquoise eyes displayed such an overwhelming mix of emotions, Armin felt he was drowning in them. He wanted to tell Eren how he really felt about him. How much he HAS been feeling this since they met in middle school when Eren came to rescue him. Armin had yelled back at his attackers, calling them out on their bullshit, but of course that didn't make their punches any softer. Then came this wild boy and beautiful girl out of nowhere and beat the bullies up… well it was mostly Mikasa. Eren got some lucky punches here and there, but mostly he just blocked the kids from hurting Armin. Oh, how he had fallen for that grin Eren gave him afterwards. They were inseparable after that. He loved how excited Eren would be when he brought a new book to read together or when Eren would blush when he asked for help in his studies. He loved Eren's grandiose determination and how evident it was in those honest eyes of his. He felt like crying again. He was leaving behind everything he loved: Eren, Mikasa, his grandfather, even the people he said "Hi" to everyday. Armin wrapped his arms around Eren's waist and buried his face in Eren's chest. Eren returned the hug tighter and pat Armin's head. The boys stiffened as they heard a tinkling giggle. They turned towards the sound and found Mikasa holding up her camera phone. The boys automatically unlatched from each other.

"Mikasa!" Eren yelled as he huffed. His face bloomed a bright pink. Mikasa just laughed and walked to Armin. She hugged him tightly and littered his face with little kisses. Armin's blushed darkened with every kiss.

"I love you too Armin. We should get going. We don't want to miss your flight, no matter how much we want you to." Mikasa gave Armin his plane ticket with a bittersweet smile. Armin's eyes widened.

"Ah! You're right! We should go."

"I'll drive", Mikasa said. She grabbed the car keys to her little blue Prius, a present from their dad, and carried Armin's duffle bag. The boys nodded and grabbed the rest of the bags from the now vacant room.

"Bye grandpa, I'll miss you", Armin hugged his grandfather. His grandfather ruffled his blonde hair and chuckled.

"I'll miss you too Armin. Have fun, study hard, and don't forget about us."

"Of course I won't grandpa! I'll be back soon before you know it."

Armin smiled. He followed Eren and Mikasa to the car. An hour later he was on the plane to Trost and a minute after he was gone. Eren watched the plane take off along with his heart. The car ride back home was filled with a thick silence. Mikasa couldn't take it.

"You didn't tell him your feelings."

Mikasa broke the silence. Her obsidian eyes were still on the lessening traffic. Eren huffed in response and sunk down in his seat.

"I know Mikasa", Eren crossed his arms and pouted. "It's not like we're never going to see him again."

"But he can always find someone else. Armin's cute, and a lot of girls AND boys will fawn over him. He won't wait for you forever."

"He's never BEEN waiting for me Mikasa! And that's even more reason to stay quiet. I'm not about to be some selfish bastard and bind him to me. I love him, you know I do, but I'm not going to stop him from loving someone else. I want Armin to be happy… even if I'm not the one to make that happen."

Eren whispered the last part. He looked torn to shreds and his eyes looked at nothing in particular.

"Eren…" Mikasa knew Armin loved him back, but she promised Armin not to speak a word about it to Eren. Mikasa just sighed and kept driving. The car ride continued in silence.

They'd see Armin again, they knew they would.

* * *

Armin dropped his luggage onto his dorm floor. Those ten hours sitting on those airplane seats were not kind to his backside. He moved his stuff to the right side of the room. The left side was already organized with his roommate's things. There were a few band posters, Armin recognized MCR and Arctic Monkeys, some 1st place soccer trophies, and neatly stacked psychology and gothic literature books on the small desk. They were the same books Armin needed to buy. The door to the dorm opened and an ashen-haired boy walked in.

"Oh, hey, you must be my roommate. I'm Jean Kirschtein. Nice to meet you", he held out his hand. Armin happily shook it. Jean had a handsome face with a cocky smile. His double hued hair went from a light ash colored to a dark brown undercut. He was rather tall and built, probably from playing soccer if the 1st place soccer trophies on his stand were real.

"I'm Armin Arlert. It's very nice to meet you too."

"You wanna come with us to the café? My buddy Marco and I are going for some ice cream."

"Uh, sure. Let me just get my wallet", Armin took out his black, Edgar Allan Poe themed wallet from his duffle bag. Jean chuckled.

"Nice wallet. You like gothic literature?"

"I love it. I'm taking Gothic Lit and comp with Mr. Farlan"

"And psych with Dr. Moblit?" Armin nodded. Jean grinned.

"I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other." They began walking out the dorm. They headed towards another dorm, probably Marco's. Armin began to think this wasn't so bad. Maybe things will look brighter

.

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.

Maybe.

A/N

If you see anything confusing or a mistake please tell me in a review or message me!


	2. 7 Years Later

Chapter 2

_7 Years Later…_

"Yo Armin! You up for drinks later? I'm buying."

"You can afford that?" a now older Armin chuckled. Armin had long ago cut his bowl cut blond hair into a James Dean inspired hairstyle. His skinny teen body filled out with hard chest muscles, muscular arms and toned legs. His face was free of baby fat and made way for a chiseled jaw and sharp, fine features. His eyes, though more calculating and observant than before, still held that unique ocean color you only see when the sun is highest in the sky. They still held that childlike innocence, still so foolishly hopeful despite everything he's been through.

"Well excuse me Mr. Big shot CEO, us peasants can afford a drink once in a while", Jean smirked.

"Sure Jean. Just let me finish this. The CEO of Recon Corps will be here next week and I need everything perfect if this agreement of ours is going to work."

"You know it will. It always does. You're so fucking manipulative I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up owning the poor corporation instead." Armin smiled.

"That's the plan. After the merger, there won't be a Recon Corps to remember. The Survey Corps will be the leading trade industry."

* * *

"Hey Jaegar, is the paperwork I assigned done yet or do I have to kick your ass again?"

"Yeah, I'm done, but this guy is asking for a lot, seriously" Eren huffed. He ran his fingers through his undercut and fixed the long strands to the side. Eren had grown to be a six foot two walking sex on legs. His caramel skin bulged with lean muscles, courtesy of early morning trips to Sina Gym with his flat mate Levi. His complexion was sharp and unmarred with his eyes still standing out the most. The turquoise color was as bright as ever.

"There are a lot of demanding brats out there, but he's not getting control over anything of ours. I trust you Eren, don't make me regret my choice of getting you this job."

"I've never given you a reason in five years, have I Levi?" Eren grinned at his partner and flat mate. Levi scoffed.

"Don't get cocky brat", Levi gave a half smile. Eren and Levi have been flat mates for four out of the five years they've known each other. Levi was older than Eren by years but stood almost a foot shorter at five foot three. He was fair-skinned with strong French facial features. His jet black undercut was neatly parted to the side with his fringe just above his slate colored eyes. Although short, Levi wasn't small. He was built with toned muscles visible from underneath his white collar shirt.

Eren smirked. "Only if it's your coc-"

"Don't make this gay Eren"

Levi was also incredibly straight.

* * *

"Meh, meh, Meh, MEh, MEH, MEH, MEH!" the alarm on Armin's phone screeched. The blond quickly silenced it with a slight tap to the screen. The alarm screen faded to reveal the picture he had cried over all those years ago. It was the picture Mikasa had sent him the day he left. He smiled as he relived the moment in his head. He had his face buried in Eren's chest. His arms were wrapped around Eren's waist and Eren was holding him and petting his hair. Eren had a cute blush on his cheeks and a big smile on his face. His eyes were half lidded and staring down at Armin's face. They looked like lovers.

"I wish I could see you again…Just give me a little more time Eren. I promised I would be back, and I will". Armin got out of his overly fluffy bed and headed to his personal bathroom to groom himself for the day. When he stepped out, he heard a loud moan from the living room.

"Hangover?" Armin yelled from his room.

"Hangover." Jean's hoarse voice called out. Armin laughed. He began walking towards the kitchen. He opened the fridge only to see it disappointingly empty.

"Sasha and Connie came back with me. Sorry." Jean said, responding to Armin's unasked question. Armin sighed and shook his head.

"Alright. I'm going to the grocery store. Anything you want?"

"BUTTER!" Jean yelled before falling back on the sofa.

"Sure, see you in a few" Armin grabbed his car keys and headed towards his car.

* * *

"Why do we have to get groceries? We'll only be here for two weeks. Can we just eat Chinese food every day?" Eren whined while carrying a shopping basket full of fruits and vegetables.

"I'm not about to gorge myself in chao mein and orange chicken. That's not exactly my idea of a great anniversary dinner and can you stop whining like a little shit?" Levi looked through the assortment of meat packages.

"I've got a better meat package you can-"

"Fucking Hell Eren, I swear" Levi bit out with no real anger. He was well used to Eren's annoyances. Eren only chuckled at Levi's response.

"Mommy, that short man said a bad word!" a blond boy with a bowl cut pulled on his mother's skirt and pointed at Levi. Levi growled at the "short" remark.

"Baby don't point. As long as you don't say the mean words it's fine." The boy's mother replied as she pulled her son along.

"Damn brats." Levi scoffed.

"I thought he was a really cute kid." Eren smiled.

'_He reminded me so much of…'_

"Armin! What's up?" the loud cashier girl all but shouted. Eren's eyes widened. He quickly turned around. There was a tall blond man at the register.

"Eren."

The man's blond hair was short. Not a long bowl cut.

"Eren."

The man was tall. Not a short boy.

"…Eren."

This guy was muscular, almost as much as himself. Hardly that skinny blond from high school.

"Er- Hey Brat!" Levi shouted. The blond was turning around.

"Dammit Eren!" Levi grabbed Eren's head and turned his face towards his.

"Stop fucking around. My anniversary dinner with Petra is in five hours and I need to hurry up. Let's go." Eren blinked, then smirked. He kissed Levi's nose. Levi flushed slightly.

"You gonna make me dinner too?"

"You can starve." Levi shoved Eren's face away. He began walking away while Eren laughed his ass off. He'd pay for it later.

* * *

"Hey Brat!" Armin heard an angry man shout. He turned toward it. There was someone staring at him. He looked familiar.

"Dammit Eren!" Armin's eyes widened. His heart quickened. He stared at the brunette. The hair was different, the build was different, the height…

'_It can't be Eren. Why would he be here?'_

"Armin?" Sasha, the cashier, looked concerned at the blonde. Armin started walking towards the men.

'_Could it really be Eren?'_

The brunette kissed the other man's nose. Armin froze in his step. The short man pushed the brunette away and the taller laughed. Armin gasped. There was no mistaking it now that was Eren's laugh. It was Eren. Eren was here. He was here with…who was that man he just kissed? Armin felt his blood run cold.

'_No…'_

He watched as they walked away. He couldn't believe it. Eren was with somebody. Everything he has been doing to get back to Eren was a wasted effort. He knew they hadn't spoken to each other in years, but that wasn't his fault! He wanted to but because of… Armin grabbed money out of his wallet and dropped it in front of Sasha.

"Boss?" Sasha voiced. Armin grabbed his groceries.

"You shouldn't call me that, but don't worry I'm fine. Keep the change." Armin left the store. All because of HIM he was stuck here. If he hadn't gone to him, if he hadn't trusted that man, he would have been with Eren right now. Friend or lover, he didn't care. He would have been back in Shiganshina with Mikasa and his grandfather. He hasn't seen anyone from Shiganshina so of course he wouldn't have recognized Eren right away. Armin got into his car and drove home.

* * *

"Fucking finally. Good job Krista. I'll tell Armin when he gets back." Jean hung up. They finally found Thomas. Now all they needed was Armin's word. The door slammed open and Armin walked in to their shared flat.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear. What's got your Calvin Klein panties in a bunch?" Jean yelled after Armin as he walked towards the kitchen. When he got no answer he walked into the kitchen after him. He saw Armin shoving everything haphazardly into the fridge.

"Here's your butter." Armin threw the packet of butter at Jean, who caught it with ease.

"You ok-"

"I don't want to talk about it." Jean frowned at the curt response.

"Alright, I get it. Krista found Thomas. She set up a date with him so we can make the jump tonight. What's the plan?" Jean crossed his arms. Armin sighed.

"Tell Krista the usual. Ymir can finish him off. She loves doing that." Jean frowned.

"None of us like doing this Armin. You know as well as I do why we are here." Armin looked up at Jean. He met his eyes and slowly looked away.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm just tired." Jean nods and grabs his phone to dial Krista. Armin closed the fridge and headed to his room. He lay on his back inviting his overly fluffy covers to swallow him up. He wasn't hungry anymore.

"I took too long…" Armin stared at the plain white ceiling. It was all HIS fault. Armin growled.

"I'll kill you one day, I promise you… Erwin."

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.

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A/N

Hope you enjoyed the second chapter. Like before, if anything seems at all confusing or you see a mistake don't hesitate to contact me.


	3. It's You

Chapter 3

_It's You..._

"If you pick at that pasta one more time I swear to God I will shove my foot up your ass so high, it will come out your mouth" Levi slapped Eren's hand with a wooden spoon. Eren retracted his hand and cradled it to his chest. He hissed as he shook it slightly.

"But I'm hungry Levi! You and Petra can't possibly eat all this food."

"You'd be surprised. Petra's been eating like crazy and keeps asking me for the strangest shit to eat… Here." Levi handed him a plate.

"Stop picking at the food and just serve yourself" Eren perked up and got himself a plate full of Levi's Radish-Top pasta. He eyed the food that Levi currently had in the oven.

"Waus dat?" Eren pointed at the oven. Levi threw his hand towel at Eren's face annoyed.

"Don't talk with your mouth full. I'm making Tartiflette and Gougères. You know how much Petra likes cheese." Eren nodded and swallowed. Levi had taken over making their meals ever since Eren sent them to the hospital with his baking soda covered pork chops. Eren could have sworn it was white flour. Needless to say, Levi never let Eren cook again. He kept watching Levi go back and forth between washing and checking on the food. It reminded him of when he'd go over Armin's house and watch him bake. He brought another fork full of pasta to his mouth. He looked up and saw Armin smiling as he checked on the cookies he was baking for the farewell goodie bags he planned to give his teachers at Shiganshina High.

"I don't want you to leave me," Eren whispered. Armin turned to him with a sad expression.

"Eren…I don't want to leave you either."

"Are you done yet?" Levi untied the dark blue apron he was wearing and began folding it neatly.

"W-what?" Eren blinked and was brought back to reality. He wasn't at Armin's house. He wasn't smelling the sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies, but the tangy smell of the pasta he just ate. The person in front of him was not the blond boy he knew since he was a child that he had fallen in love with, but a dark haired man that helped him when everyone else left him. Levi raised an eyebrow at Eren.

"Are you done eating or not?" Eren nodded, shoveling down the last of the pasta.

"Good. Take this money and leave." Levi slapped Eren's face with the money and dropped it on his lap.

"You're paying me to leave you two alone?" Eren chuckled. He grabbed his brown satchel near the leather couch as Levi threw a green jacket at him.

"Just for a few hours. And Eren… thanks, for everything. I really appreciate it." Levi smiled. Eren made a sobbing face and went to hug Levi. Levi cringed and backed away.

"Don't you dare. Go. Leave. And don't get into trouble." Levi went into his room. Eren scoffed.

"I won't. I'll be back in five." He began walking toward the Titan Café he saw on their way home.

* * *

FIVE HOURS LATER

Eren checked his phone. It was almost ten. He saved his document he was working on for the big meeting on Monday and shut the laptop. He finally stood up and his back popped slightly back into place. He placed his laptop in his bag, picked up his sixth iced chai tea latte, and started towards the door. The bells jingled as he opened it.

"Be careful sir and thank you for coming to Titan Café." A worker at the counter called out. He was incredibly tall, dark and handsome if Eren could say so himself.

"Thank you", Eren checked his name tag "Bertholdt. Have a good night." He stepped out with the sound of the bells being the only thing audible in the silent café. He hadn't realized he was the last one in there. He began walking towards the flat. He took out his phone again and began dialing Levi. He didn't want to have to face an angry Levi if he just walked in to their flat.

"Come on Thomas. Why don't you walk me home?" a petite blonde girl giggled out. The tall blonde guy named Thomas had a sheepish grin on his face. Eren didn't know if the blush across Thomas's face was because of the girl's obvious intentions or the alcohol he obviously drank in the bar. The guy was using the girl for support just to stand up.

"How can I say no to you Krista?" He wrapped an arm around her waist. Eren watched them walk into an alleyway. Eren shook his head. He hoped they didn't regret it in the morning. A noise caught his attention. It was…muffled screeching? And coming from alleyway. Not what Eren expected to hear, and from Thomas no less. He rushed to the alley.

'Fuck…' was all Eren could think while staring at the people in the alley. An ashen haired man had Thomas pinned up against the dingy brick wall with his hand covering his mouth. The blonde girl Krista was sitting on a lanky brunette with her arms around her neck and the other holding a silencer aimed to Thomas's head.

"Thank you Thomas. Ymir." The man turned to her. The brunette nodded.

"Bye Thomas. Hope you enjoyed touching Krista while you could." She pulled the trigger. The silent shot went clean through Thomas's forehead. He dragged down the wall. Eren felt his blood run cold at the sight. They just murdered that guy. He began stepping back while ending his call to Levi. He began dialing the police when his phone was slapped out of his hands. Eren dropped his latte all over himself and his attacker. He was grabbed and suddenly pinned harshly against the wall. He felt something cold on his neck. A switchblade. He looked up with a blurry vision from the collision.

"I wouldn't do that if I were…E-Eren?" the man tensed. The cold feeling on his neck was immediately gone. Eren's vision focused in on the man's face. His eyes were that eerily familiar blue color that Eren would never forget. Eren's heart pounded harder against his chest.

"Ar-Armin?"

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A/N

If you see any mistakes or are confused about anything make sure to contact me.

Tomboy22: Hi there! I'm sorry if I confused you honey, but this story will be an Eremin fic. So, yeah, expect Eren and Armin to be a little gay for each other. Oh, and don't worry too much on Armin, he won't be ALL that bad.


	4. Why Me?

Chapter 4

Why Me?

"A-Armin… is that really… you?" Eren refused to look away. He couldn't move. All he could do was stare at the person in front of him. Armin shook his head slightly. His shocked expression never left his face. Eren slowly reached out to touch Armin. He had to know if this was real. Before he could, he heard a gun cock and froze. He turned towards the sound and found himself face to face with the muzzle of the silencer. The Jean and Krista held up their switchblades. Eren automatically dropped his hand and backed away. Their faces were cold and murderous, just like _theirs_ were. He felt the oxygen leave him. He stared wide eyed at them, but they slowly transformed into other people. Three men, all smiling and holding their knives out.

"_Now it's your turn."_

"L-Levi…" Eren stuttered out. He couldn't breathe, everything was spinning. He felt a hand slip into his and hold it tight.

"Lower your weapons. It's okay. He's… my best friend." Armin squeezed Eren's hand hesitantly. Eren turned towards Armin but all he saw was Mikasa covered in blood and holding on to him. He started shaking. The three lowered their weapons but kept the same expressions.

"Best friend? Are you sure?" Jean frowned. He's never seen this guy and Jean wasn't particularly easy to trust other people, not anymore at least, but he whole heartedly trusted Armin. If Armin slapped a title like "best friend" on this guy, he wanted to make sure he wouldn't regret not shoving his blade into the guy's skull.

"Yes, this is Eren." A look of realization crossed Jean's face. They put their weapons away at the name. They knew exactly who Eren was. Armin turned to Eren who had gone pale.

"Eren, it's okay. They won't hurt you I promise. Eren…EREN!" Armin caught him before he could fall face first onto the cement.

"Shit." Armin kneeled down on one knee and propped Eren against his other and holding him by the shoulders. He stared at his unconscious face and gently caressed his cheek. Jean's face fell slightly.

"Ymir, can you check over Eren and make sure he's okay?" Jean motioned towards Eren. She stared at Jean and nodded before walking over to Armin and Eren.

"Jean?" Krista looked at Jean with a sad expression. Jean turned to her and smiled, even if it was obviously fake.

"We knew he'd show up eventually right?" he went back to staring at the three in front of him.

"Lay him on his back." Ymir checked Eren for his breathing and heart rate.

"He's breathing fine and his heart rates stabilizing. Looks like he forgot to breathe during his little panic attack. He should be fine once he wakes up." Armin nodded.

"He called out Levi earlier? Do you know who that is?" Jean picked up Eren's cell phone from the ground. He turned it on and scoffed.

"Passcode", he handed it to Krista. She stared at it then at Eren. After a few seconds of looking at Eren she turned to Armin.

"What's Eren's mother's name?" she held the phone, ready to type.

"Carla." She nodded and typed. The screen brightened up. She got through. She began by scrolling through Eren's contacts and text messages.

"They live together. These messages go way back. They met at their university… Levi is about six years older than Eren. They're co-workers at a business firm. He's also short, French, and safe to assume really built." Krista handed the phone back to Jean with Levi's contact open.

"God damn I love you Krista. Still have no fucking idea how the Hell you do that." Jean chuckled.

"Back off horsie. Don't you have your own cowboy to ride you?" Ymir smirked as she hugged Krista.

"Oh shut up you lesbian," Jean blushed and turned towards Armin. "What do we do?" Armin looked up at Jean then at Eren.

_Sie Sind Das Essen Und Wir Sind Die Jager!_

Eren's phone began to ring. A picture of a pale hand flipping the camera off came up with the name "LEVI" flashing on the caller ID. Armin motioned Jean to pass the phone to him. He signaled the rest to be quiet and answered.

"H-hello, Levi?" Armin made his voice quiver. Jean rolled his eyes and leaned against the brick wall behind him. This act wasn't new to him. There was silence on the other line.

"Who are you? Where's Eren?" Levi didn't sound happy at all.

"I'm Eren's friend Armin. W-we stumbled into something bad and Eren fainted. He was trying to call you b-but then the guys attacked us and-"

"Hey, calm down. Where are you now?" Armin could hear a ruffling of clothes. Levi was probably putting on his jacket. Armin looked at his surroundings. He knew there was a park by here.

"W-we're at Legion Park."

"Alright, I know the one. Stay there and keep Eren safe." Levi hung up. Armin slid the phone into his pocket.

"Ymir, can you take us to Legion Park?" Armin carried Eren bridal style as he got up. Ymir nodded and headed to her car.

"Jean, I'm sorry but, can you clean up this mess? I promise I'll make it up to you" Armin gave him a guilty smile. Jean looked at him as he cradled Eren in his arms. He sighed and pushed himself off of the wall.

"Yeah, just go already before that Levi guy gets there." Armin nodded.

"Thanks Jean." Ymir brought the car over and Armin opened the back door and began laying Eren carefully.

"I'll be back. Don't touch Krista" Ymir pointed at Jean. Jean just shooed her. Krista smiled and began cleaning up the "mess". He watched as they drove off.

* * *

They made it to Legion Park with no Levi in sight. Armin relaxed. He gently pulled Eren out and carried him towards a nearby bench.

"Thanks Ymir. I'll treat you and Krista to something tomorrow." Ymir smirked.

"No problem boss. I'll be looking forward to it. Take care of the kid, now that you have him." Ymir waved and drove off back to Jean and Krista. He stared at Eren in his arms and chuckled.

"I wouldn't have been able to carry you like this years back. You're pretty heavy, but now I'm strong enough. To protect you too." He was still so in love with him. He sat down on the bench and laid Eren's head on his lap. Not a minute later and a very expensive looking car parked near them. A man Armin assumed was Levi came out along with a beautiful woman behind him. Levi rushed to them.

"Is he breathing? Eren…" Levi pushed back Eren's bangs to look at his unconscious face.

"He's okay. He didn't get hurt." Armin stared at Levi. This is the man Eren had kissed at the grocery store. Levi sighed in relief. His face softened and he chuckled.

"Damn brat. I told you not to get in trouble." Levi pet Eren's head. Armin awkwardly cleared his throat. Levi looked up.

"Armin Arlert. That is you right?" Armin nodded. Eren had told Levi about himself.

"Thank you for keeping him safe. I'll take him from here. I can drive you home if you want but I'm going to need you to tell me what happened first at our place, got it." Levi left no room to disagree. How could Eren live with him? Eren was the rebel type and this guy was fairly strict, but the look he had when he saw Eren unconscious… there was something. Armin nodded.

"Petra, do you have the blanket?"

"Of course Levi." She handed over a blue blanket to Levi. She stared at Armin. She had short auburn hair that fought with her honey colored eyes. Her pale skin was sprinkled with freckles concentrated around her nose. She looked fragile, but Armin knew she was anything but fragile. His eyes widened as he stared back at Petra. She was just as surprised. She recovered first and pulled her collar slightly. Armin understood the silent gesture.

'_We'll talk later.'_

Armin nodded slightly. Petra smiled.

"Here, I'll take Eren." Levi held out his arms.

"It's alright, I got him." Armin insisted.

"You've gone through enough trouble with Eren. So don't worry." Levi picked Eren up gently. Krista was correct in assuming Levi was built. Levi easily picked Eren up and began towards the car.

"Come on Armin." Petra motioned towards the car.

"Right." Armin stood up and followed. As he entered the car he began thinking over the cover up story he'd tell Levi once they got to his flat. He looked to Eren next to him in the backseat.

'_I'm sorry I took so long…'_

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_A/N_

_If you see any mistakes or are confused about something, don't be afraid to contact me._

_Tomboy22: Thank you very much! As of right now I don't have any lemons written since I'm a wuss and get easily embarrassed, but probably there will be one eventually. But of course I'll make sure to give you the heads up! Thanks for reading!_

_PrincessCarly28: Here's your update! I'm glad you like it so far!_


	5. Thank You Mom

Chapter 5

_Thank You Mom_

"There's more tea in the kettle if you want. I'll go check up on Eren." Petra placed two cups of the chocolate peppermint tea in front of the men. Levi smiled.

"Thank you Petra. If you need anything I'll be here." Levi held her hand. Petra playfully rolled her eyes and smiled.

"I think I could manage this at least Levi." She squeezed his hand. Levi chuckled.

"Okay." He kissed her hand and watched her disappear into the room. Armin was surprised that Levi could pull such a different demeanor from that man he heard on the phone minutes earlier. Levi picked up his tea cup and his face dropped into a scowl. He leaned back into his couch and crossed one leg over the other. He stared at Armin as the blond took his own cup of tea in hand.

"Alright, so what happened? I don't want you leaving out any details." Armin nodded. He drank a bit of the warm liquid and took that time to think. Eren had a satchel and a latte when he found him so he must have come from a café nearby. They passed Legion Park to get here. Both Eren and Levi are living in this suite since there were two beds in the other room and nothing in there was Petra's. With the flowers and an opened bottle of wine on the table near the kitchen, he felt it was safe to assume they were celebrating an anniversary, especially if Eren was out this late. Armin cleared his throat.

"We bumped into each other at a café close by. He told me you were having an anniversary date and he would be there a while, I'm pretty sure you already know we haven't seen each other in a while…" Levi clicked his tongue at the understatement. Armin awkwardly nodded.

"I wanted to catch up so I suggested we go to the park…Why did I think that was a good idea?" Armin ran a hand through his hair. Levi simply shrugged and gave him a look to continue.

"These three guys came up to us and started giving us trouble. One of them reached for Eren's bag but Eren pushed him away. That pissed the guy off and they all took out knives. Eren just…froze and started calling out your name. I didn't know what to do. He just blacked out and the guys ran after that. I couldn't fight them and now Eren's…" Armin looked down at his now lukewarm tea. He hoped Levi bought the story. Levi sighed, obviously upset.

"He's fine now so don't shit yourself over it. I'll take care of him so he'll be okay." All Armin could do was nod. Petra came out at that moment. She smiled at the men.

"Eren's still sleeping. If you two are done, I'll take you home Armin. Levi, take care of Eren until he wakes up and don't scold him." She pointed a stern finger at Levi and he just scoffed. Armin downed the last of the tea and stood up. He hesitantly held out his hand towards Levi. Levi stared at the hand then Armin. He took the hand in a tight grip and shook it firmly.

"Thank you for everything and please, contact me when Eren wakes up." Armin handed Levi a paper with his name and cell phone number. Levi raised an eyebrow.

"You just happen to have papers with your number ready for anything?"

"No, it's just, I…"

"Ready Armin?" Petra had her coat and keys in hand. She leaned to give Levi a goodnight kiss.

"See you tomorrow Levi." Levi just waved at the two as they headed towards the door.

"Call me once you get home" Petra nodded and lead Armin to her car.

* * *

"I like you with this hairstyle. Don't get me wrong, the long black wig was nice, but I think this style suits you better." Petra smiled.

"Thanks. Now, are you going to tell me what really happened or will I have to force it out of you?" Armin tensed.

"You can be scary when you have to be. Tell me again why you aren't the leader of the Garrison."

"Don't change the subject Armin. What happened?" Armin sat back into the passenger's seat.

"Eren walked in when we were on our daily business. Jean, Krista, and Ymir acted against him before he could call the cops and he ended up blacking out after that. I tried telling him they wouldn't hurt him, but it was like he wasn't really there." Petra hummed.

"How are you going to fix this? If he remembers any of that it won't be good for the Garrison and you for that matter." Armin sighed.

"I want to believe that even if he did remember, he wouldn't do anything."

"That doesn't sound like the Eren you spoke about." Armin chuckled.

"You're right. I'll figure this out tomorrow. I'm tired." Petra pat Armin's head lightly.

"I'm here if you need me. Everything is going to be okay. And one more thing. I won't be around the gang much for a while." Armin furrowed his brows.

"Why? Is Pixis sending you away?" Petra shook her head. She stopped at a red light and turned towards Armin, a hand on the barely noticeable bump that was her tummy. Armin's eyed widened.

"You're pregnant? How long?"

"Four months. Five in a week." Petra smiled. She turned back to the road as the light turned green.

"You'll be a great mom. I can't wait to carry them and spoil that child. And maybe this could help you leave the Garrison for good. I envy you." Armin smiled sadly. There was never a sure way to leave the Garrison, but all he could do was hope Petra could. Petra held her hand gently against her stomach as they made it to Armin's shared flat. The light was on, signaling that Jean was home and still awake.

"Stay safe Armin." Petra waved goodbye and drove off. Armin smiled and headed home. He was greeted by Jean sitting on the couch with a blanket over his legs and Courage the Cowardly Dog on the television.

"How'd everything go?" Jean asked without sparing Armin a glance. Armin took off his coat and joined Jean on the sofa. Jean pulled the blanket over and covered him with it.

"I can't really tell until Eren wakes up" Jean nodded. He reached out for Armin's hand and held it like he always did. Armin turned to him and smiled while gently squeezing his hand back like he always did and Jean smiled back, just like he always did. But the feeling wasn't the same. Jean knew that. He felt the change himself. With Eren's appearance, things were sure to be different.

He just hoped that wasn't a bad thing.

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_A/N: I hope all the Jearmin at the end didn't turn you guys off so much. I'll be honest and say I wasn't feeling this chapter all too much but this was the best I could do with it. Also, since I'll be starting school next week, updates are going to be a lot slower ( more than they already are) so I hope everyone will stick around anyways. If you want to remind me anyways about updating since I forget a lot of the time, you can send me an ask on my tumblr -herofrozenintime. I'm on there most of the time. _

_Tomboy22: No problem! I'm glad to hear you're considering getting an account. ^ ^_

_me or you: Yup! I'll try my best with updates!_

_As always if you see any mistakes or are confused about something, don't be afraid to contact me._


	6. That Day

_A/N: Okay guys, so this chapter does have violence and slight gore, so if you are not okay with that, I rather you either skim through this or not read it at all. But if you don't mind go right ahead and read._

Chapter 6

_That Day_

A loud crashing noise resounded throughout the Jaeger house hold. Eren groggily woke up and looked at his phone besides his bed. It was 2:45 in the morning.

"What the hell?" Eren placed his phone back and rubbed at his face.

"Eren, are you okay?" It was Mikasa that entered his room. Her voice was quiet.

"Yeah I'm good. What was that noise?" Eren sat up and began getting out of bed.

"I don't know. We should check on mom and dad." Eren nodded and followed Mikasa. They stopped mid-step as they heard a grating laugh from the living room.

"Carla, get the kids and take them somewhere safe." Grisha almost yelled. Frantic footsteps were cut short.

"I don't think so." They heard a different raucous voice call out and then Carla's scream. Eren ran without a second thought to the living room with Mikasa on his heels.

"Mom! Dad!" Eren froze. There were three men: one holding his mother by her hair, one rummaging through his father's stack of papers on the kitchen counter, and one pointing a gun to his father's head. They all stared at the two. Grisha took the opportunity to fight for the gun from the man in front of him.

"Eren! Mikasa! Run!" Eren ran to the man holding his mother and punched him square in the face. The man fell back on the floor and held his nose. Eren had hit him hard enough to break his nose. He helped his mom up.

"Mom, go and call the cops." Eren didn't see the man on the floor pointing his gun at him.

"You stupid brat." He cocked the gun and aimed at Eren's back.

"Eren!" the brunette felt himself pushed out of the way and then heard the gunshot. The body fell with a loud thud.

"Mikasa! Oh my God! No!" Carla screamed. Eren turned to see his sister on the floor and blood gushing from her side. Mikasa gasped for air as she held her side, covering her hands in the dark liquid.

"I can't rely on any of you to do your jobs." The third man sighed, putting a paper into his jacket and pulling his handgun out. He walked past the man on the floor and looked at Carla with a bored expression. He aimed and shot Carla straight through her head, cutting off her desperate cries in an instant. He turned to Grisha and shot him several times in the back. The man fighting Grisha dropped Grisha's limp body to the floor and kicked him. He sneered at the other man.

"I had it under control." The main guy simply chose to ignore his partner and stared at his other partner on the floor.

"Kill the boy. I don't need survivors running about." Eren heard the man get up off the floor.

"With pleasure. I'm going to enjoy stabbing the shit out of you kid." The man Eren punched walked towards him with his switchblade in hand. He kicked Mikasa out of the way and that's when Eren snapped.

"_Eren."_

He tackled the man and ripped the blade from his hand. He stabbed him over and over again.

"_Eren."_

He grabbed the gun and shot at the two other men. One man went down. The other held his shoulder where a bullet managed to graze him.

"_Eren, wake up"_

The front door suddenly busted open. People in FBI attire scattered throughout the room, restraining the injured man and checking on his family and the other men. Eren's arm slacked and the gun falling to the floor. A blond man walked to Eren.

"I'm special agent Erwin Smith. Are you injured Eren?"

"Agent Smith sir, the girl is…"

"Eren." Eren opened his eyes and stared up at Levi. Levi had a worried expression. Eren remembered this face from years back.

"I'm okay." The brunette smiled at Levi. Levi sighed.

"Okay." Levi sat more comfortably on the bed. "Do you remember what happened?" Eren began to sit up with Levi's help.

"I just remember seeing these people and… Armin. I must have gotten hit in the head or something." Eren held his head in his hands.

"Yeah, I have to call Arlert. He wanted to make sure you were okay when you woke up." Levi grabbed his phone only to have Eren grab his wrist. Levi looked to Eren with a frown.

"What?" Levi lightly tapped Eren's hand off his wrist.

"Did you just say you were calling Armin? I was with him?" Eren was beyond confused. Levi lifted an eyebrow. He nodded carefully. Eren ran a hand through his tangled mess of hair and smiled. It had been about seven years since he had seen the blond. Seven years since he left and… never called back. Never visited. Not even a 'Hey I'm doing great, how about you?' Eren shook his head with a tired sigh.

"Do you want to talk with him?" Levi reached for his phone in his pocket. Eren shook his head.

"Not right now. I'm tired. How was your anniversary?" Eren turned to Levi and sat cross legged. Levi pocketed his phone again and smiled lightly.

"Petra has been eating for two apparently." It took Eren a minute to understand what Levi just said. His jaw dropped as he realized.

"Petra is pregnant?" Eren whispered as he covered his mouth. Levi flicked Eren's forehead.

"Idiot. Why are you whispering? Yes, you are going to be an uncle now." Eren froze and looked at Levi for any sign he was joking.

"Uncle…" Eren began to tear up. He had lost his family years ago, but now he found another one, and it was growing. He wasn't alone. Levi just scoffed and pulled Eren's head to his chest.

"Of course you're not alone, you shitty brat. You're getting a nephew and your boyfriend's back. Stop crying." Eren laughed.

"My boyfriend's back and you're gonna get in trouble."

"Don't start." Levi pushed Eren away. He got up and started to the door.

"If you masturbate to your boyfriend while I'm home, I will personally rip off your balls and feed them to the stray dogs outside."

"Levi!" Eren yelled. Levi ignored him and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Fucking homophobe." Eren whispered under his breath.

"Fuck you too!" Levi yelled. Eren couldn't help laughing. He laid back and began to think back to what happened.

'Why was Armin there? He wasn't part of their group…was he?' Eren shook his head. He didn't want to think Armin would have done anything like those people.

"What have you been doing Armin?"

_A/N: As always, if you see any mistakes or are confused about anything, please feel free to contact me._


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